Locking device for full fashioned knitting machines



July 28, 1936. Y K. o. WAECHTLER ET AL I 2,049,031

.I r W, W 0

ATTORNEY.

July 28, 1936. o. WAECHTLER ET AL 2,049,031

LOCKING DEVICE FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES I File d Jan. 27,1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

f/Wd

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 28', 1936 LOCKING DEVICE FOR FULL FASHIONED KNKTTINGMACHHNES Kurt 0. Waechtler and Herbert M. Suess, Berlin, N. J.

Application January 27, 1934, Serial No. 708,574

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a locking device and more particularly to alocking device for a full fashioned knitting machine whereby the yarncarrier bars may be more effectively and accurately locked when reachingtheir final position of travel in either direction. 7

The principal object of the invention is to accomplish a wedgingengagement between the yarn carrier and the locking device so as topositively lock the carrier bar accurately in its proper position andeliminate any subsequent displacement thereof due to the vibratoryaction of the yarn carrier bar. Another object of the invention residesin the novel arrangement and association of the component parts of thelocking device and the yarn carrier bars whereby the incoming yarncarrier bar may be accurately locked and an outgoing yarn carrier barautomatically released.

Besidesthe above our invention is distinguished in the design andcorelation of the catches and walls of the notches in the yarn carrierbars whereby positive engagement is assured and the vibrating'action ofthe yarn carriers utilized to create a wedging action therebetween.

With these and other objects in View the inv vention will be betterunderstood from the following detail description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention removed from a knittingmachine.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views illustrating the relativepositions of the end of the catch and the notch of the yarn carrier.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the locking device.

' Figure 6 is an end elevation of the locking de- VICE.

Figure 7 is a sectional view on line ll', Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional view ure 5.

Figure 9 is a sectional view on line ure 5.

'Again referring to the drawings illustrating one of the manyconstructions of our invention, the details of which may be modified inmany ways to meet production requirements, the numeral I designates aset of yarn carrier bars illustrated in this particular instance asthree in number, hereinafter identified as an inner bar 2, anintermediate bar 3 and an outer bar 4. Each bar is provided withinclining end portions 5 and 6 and has arranged thereon adjacent eachend portion a notch 1. Particular on line 8-8, Figattention is called tothe fact that in this 'particular instance, each notch consists of aninwardly inclining wall 8 and an outwardly inclining shoulder 9; theinclination of the latter having a direct bearing upon an importantfeature of our invention hereinafter set forth.

Arranged at each end of the knitting machine to cofunction with thenotches for the locking of the carrier bars and to cofunction with theinclined end portions for the automatic releasing of the carrier barsare a pair of locking devices hereinafter known as a left locking devicel and a right locking device H. As these locking devices are ofidentical construction, we

will limit the following description to the right locking device.

The locking device fixed to a suitable ting machine and consists of abracket l2 part of the frame of the knitthis bracket l2 supports astationary shaft l3 upon which is rotatably mounted three blocks orheads l4, vl5 and i6, one for each carrier bar; Each block has securedthereto a pin ll engaged by a spring it that in turn is secured to asupport l9.

Associated with each carrier bar is a catch 205.2

making three in number hereinafter identified as an inner catch 2i, andintermediate catch 22 and an outer catch 23. The outer catch is adaptedto coact with the notch of the outer bar to lock the same; theintermediate catch1-3 22 is adapted to engage with the notch of theintermediate bar to lock the same and the inner catch 2i is adapted toengage with the notch of the inner bar to lock the same.

These catches are heads and for this purpose we provide each catch witha slot 24 through which passes a bolt 25 that has a screw threadengagement with'one of the herein mentioned heads that are mounted uponthe stationary shaft l3. This connection enables each catch to beadjusted toward and away from the notch of the carrier bar forregulating the point of interengagement of the end of the catch with thewall of the notch. Each catch has connected thereto an oifset extension25 having overlapping arrangement with an associated carrier I bar sothat an incoming associated carrier bar may raise a catch and releaseits carrier bar locked thereby.

More specifically stated, catch 2i has its extension 26 arranged inoverlapping engagement with the intermediate bar 3, catch 22 has itsextension arranged in overlapping engagement with the outer bar andcatch 23 has its extension 26 arranged in overlapping engagement withadjustably connected to the' 2 the inner bar. This arrangement enablesincoming movement of the outer bar to release the catch 22 fromengagement with the intermediate bar and an incoming movement of theintermediate bar will engage the extension 26 of catch 20 for releasingthe inner bar and upon incoming movement of the inner bar the extension26 of catch 23 will be engaged for releasing the outer bar for outgoingmovements. The tapering or wedge shape formation of the ends of thecarrier bars enable the same to have a cam action with the extensions 26for the effective raising thereof for releasing the various catches.Attention is called to the fact that due to the relative arrangement ofthe carrier bars there is always one bar at one end of the machine andtwo bars at the other. This arrangement makes it possible for theselective vmovement of the catches by the traveling bars for theautomatic releasing of the outgoing bars and the automatic locking ofincoming bars.

A very important. feature of our invention as clearly illustrated inFigures 2, 3 and 4 resides in the inclination of the shoulder 9 inrelation to the center of the shaft l3 and the. inclined position of thecatch so that the end wall 21 of the catch will initially engage theupper'portion of the inclined wall when the carrier bar first reachesits limit of travel and any further tendency of the carrier bar tovibrate will be prevented due to the wedging action of the end wall 21of the catch with the inclined shoulder 9. In other words, vibration ofthe carrier bar will cause the catch to move into tighter engagementwith the shoulder 9 until the catch is finally seated as shown in Figure2 and when this has' been accomplished, the jamming action between thecatch and the wall of the notch due to the off center position of thecatch in relation to the axis of the shaft l3 will rigidly lock thecarrier bar in accurate position, thereby positively preventing theproduction of inferior work or the breaking or jamming of certainknitting parts of the knitting machine.

It is, of course, to be understood that the notches may be given otherformations than illustrated and component parts of the locking deviceschanged, in many ways to meet manufacturing requirements and thereforewe do not wish to be limited in protection in any manner whatsoever,except as set forth in the following claims:

What we claim is:

1. In a knitting machine, a plurality of longitudinally travelling yarncarrier bars, a shoulder formed at each of the opposite end portions ofthe bars, each shoulder having a surface inclined downwardly in adirection away from the end portion of the bar in which said shoulder isformed, a pair of locking fingers associated with each bar and pivotallysupported above the same, one finger of each pair being disposed forengagement with the shoulder at one end of the associated bar and theother finger of the pair being disposed for engagement with the shoulderat the other end of said bar, each finger slanting in a directionopposite to the direction of the inclination of the mentioned shouldersurface with which the respective finger is engageable so that the tipof the latter is directed towards said surface to abut thereagainstwhereby, immediately upon engagement of a finger with its correspondingshoulder, a positive wedging action may be had therebetween to preventjarring of the engaged carrier bar; means carriedcby each finger upondisplacement of with which to extend in the path of travel of a carrierbar other than that with which the finger is associated and each barhaving means disposed to act upon said first mentioned means for movingthe catch out of locking engagement with its associated bar.

2. In a knitting machine, a plurality of longitudinally travelling yarncarrier bars, each bar having its opposite extremities provided with acamming face, a shoulder formed at each of the opposite end portions ofthe bars, each shoulder having a surface inclined downwardly in adirection away from the end portion of the bar in which said shoulder isformed, a pair of locking fingers associated with each bar and pivotallysupported above the same, one finger of each pair being disposed forengagement with the shoulder at one end of the associated bar and theother finger of the pair being disposed for engagement with the shoulderat the other end of said bar, each finger slanting in a directionopposite to the direction of the inclination of the mentioned shouldersurface with which the respective finger is engageable so that the tipofthe latter is directed towards said surface to abut thereagainstwhereby, immediately upon engagement of a finger with its corespondingshoulder,,a positive wedging action may be had therebetween to preventjarring of the engaged carrier bar; means carried by each finger toextend in the path of travel of a carrier bar other than that with whichthe catch is associated for engagement with thecamming face at thecorresponding extremity of said other bar whereby, the latter, to movethe finger out of engagement with its associated carrier bar forreleasing the same.

3. In a knitting machine, a plurality of longitudinally travelling yarncarrier bars, a shoulder formed at each of the opposite end portions ofthe bars, each shoulder having a surface inclined downwardly in adirection away from the end portion of the bar in which said shoulder isformed, a pair of locking fingers associated with each bar and pivotallysupported above the same, one finger of each pair being disposed forengagement with the shoulder at one end of the associated bar and theother finger of the pair being disposed for engagement with the shoulderat the other end of said bar, each finger slanting in a directionopposite to the direction of the inclination of the mentioned shouldersurface the respective finger is engageable so that the tip of thelatter is directed towards said surface to abut thereagainst whereby,ir'nmediately upon engagement of a finger with its correspondingshoulder, a positive action may be had therebetween to prevent jarringof the engaged carrier bar; springs connected to said fingers and actingto normally urge the same into engagement with their respective carrierbars; means carried by each finger to extend in the path of travel of acarrier bar other than that with which the catch is associated and eachbar having means disposed to act upon said first mentioned means formoving the catch out of locking engagement with its associated bar. 7

4. In a knitting machine, a plurality of longitudinally travelling yarncarrier bars, each bar having its opposite extremities provided with a.

camming face, a shoulder formed at each of the opposite end portions ofthe bars, each shoulder having a surface inclined downwardly in adirection away from the end portion of the bar in which said shoulder isformed, a pair of locking 7 fingers associated with each bar andpivotally supported above the same, one finger of each pair beingdisposed for engagement with the shoulder at one end of the associatedbar and the other finger of the pair being disposed for engagement withthe shoulder at the other end of said bar, each finger slanting in adirection opposite to the direction of the inclination of the mentionedshoulder surface with which the respective finger is engageable so thatthe tip of the latter is directed towards said surface to abutthereagainst whereby, immediately upon engagement of a finger with itscorresponding shoulder, a positive wedging action may be hadtherebetween to prevent jarring of the engaged carrier bar; springsconnected to said fingers and acting to normally urge the same intoengagement with their respective carrier bars, means carried by eachfinger to extend in the path of travel of a carrier bar other than thatwith which the catch is associated for engagement with the camming faceat the corresponding extremity of said other bar whereby upondisplacement of the latter, to move the catch out of engagement with itsassociated 10 carrier bar for releasing the same.

KURT O. WAECHTLER. HERBERT M. SUESS.

